The Race Relations Commissioner wants the police to wear body cameras that would film any interaction with the public. The police say they have no immediate plans to introduce them. "Police continues to monitor the use of body-worn cameras by various agencies and any potential benefits for New Zealand policing, but at this time we have no plans for their immediate introduction. But Commissioner Meng Foon says there's an urgent need for the cameras. He tells Max Towle why he's urging the police to follow the lead of the United States.
A police spokesperson said, "while the technology itself is readily available, if on-body cameras were to be more closely considered by Police at any future stage, among the complexities that would need to be resolved would be the appropriate storage, security and management of any footage captured, which would be significant in volume".
"There are also legal, privacy and other considerations that would need to be worked through," the police statement said.
